Price of stardom outweighs benefits says MBA

The expense of the move to six-star energy ratings on new housing outweighs the benefits, according to new research.

Under a Council of Australian Governments agreement, all new homes must have a six-star rating by next May.

However, new research commissioned by Master Builders Australia has found that the move to six-star housing, with double glazing and additional wall insulation, has a net cost of $40 a square metre.

By comparison, the move from four to five stars, by adding a concrete floor and additional ceiling insulation, has a net benefit of $100 a square metre.

The findings reflect the federal government’s own analysis that found the costs of the move to six stars outweighed the benefits.

Master Builders chief executive
Wilhelm Harnisch
said the government should tell home owners, and the broader community, what the cost of the move to six-star ratings would be.

“We should not rush headlong to meet populist calls or time lines to force higher energy efficiency star ratings in new buildings with no consideration of costs and in the absence of other complementary policies,’’ he said.

“Imposing ever increasing mandatory and costly minimum energy efficiency standards for new homes will unduly impact on low and middle-income households and does not make sense if the objective is to reduce Australia’s overall carbon footprint.’’